Metal double-decking buck for automobiles



E. S. EVANS.

METAL DOUBLE DECKING BUCK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-8.1919.

1,395,225. Patented 061;. 25, 1921.

2 SHEE S SHEET l.

E. S. EVANS.

METAL DOUBLE DECKING BUCK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. a, 1919.

1,395,225. Patented Oct. 25, 1921.

2 SH EETSSHEEI 2.

gnvmufoz screws, or rivets, the lower ends of thelegs UNITED STATESEDWARD S. vents, or DETROIT, linemen.

KE'I'AI,DOUBLE-DEGKING BUCK r02. AUTOMOBILES.

Specification bf To all whomit may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD S. EvANs,,/j a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Detroit, in the county of Waynev and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MetalDouble-Decking Bucks for Automobiles, of which thejollowing is aspecification.

In the automobile industry, a manner of shipping automobiles safely uponrailway box and fiat cars constitutes a considerable undertaking usuallyquite expensive. Automobiles have been heretofore shipped by tilting thesame upon flat cars as well as double' decking the automobiles inboxcars, expensive Wooden stagingland rigid bridge work being employed. yinvention contemplates the provision of metal bucks which are strong andinexpensive being capable of repeated use for supporting automobiles inelevated positions upon-cars for safe shipment, the structure being suchas to bring the entire weight 'of the load upon the bottom of the carwith no screws or bolts liable to shear-01f, permitting the automo-'bile to fall. My invention is readily disassembled when not in use beingcompactly folded for return shipment.

y means of my invention, an automobile may be safely maintained elevatedby its hubs alone-or on its axles without injury to any part of theautomobile, even the enamel upon the hubs being protected, without thenecessity of removing the hub caps from said hubs. Broadly, considered,these objects are accomplished bybearing plates in which the hubs arefitted for close engagleinent without play or any chance at we bling,suitable supporting legs being fitted to the plates in the absence ofbolts.

being secured to the car floor while braces suitably space the platesfrom the sides of the car, maintaining the plates'in position beneaththe hubs. Y

With these general objects in view, the invention consists of the novelcombination .and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully describedin connection with the accompanying drawings, in which like referencecharacters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is'an elevational view of the invention withan automobile supported there- Lette s Patent. Patented Oct. 25,1921.

Application filed Septemben8f19l9. Serial No. 322,555.

'on,"'wi th the wall legs shown in vertical sec tion, 1 1,9 22 is afront elevation of a side portion thereof-with the box car shown invertical transverse section,

Fig. 3 is an outer elevational view of one of'the head platesdetached,taken upon an enlarged scale with portionsyof the supporting.legs indicated by broken lines,

Figs. 4 and 5 are diametrical sectional views taken through the headplate substantially upon lines 4- 4 and 5-5 respectively,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the head plate,

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a slightly different form of head platewith a flanged receiving socket for the hub cap or axle also serviceableina two-legged structure,

Fig. 8 is a perspective .view of a retaining strap serviceable with thehead plates, and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an end portion of one of the supportinglegs adapted for fitting the head plate.

My invention primarily consists in a trapezoidal head 10 formed of sheetmetal having receiving ribs 11 for suitable sup-- porting legs 12, theribs being struck up from one side of the plate: The ribs 11 correspondin number to the number of legs 12 employed, three legs being preferablefor heavy weight automobiles as shown in Fig. 1 employing the plate 10,while a similar plate 10 illustrated in Fig. 7 has two similar ribs 11'adapting the same for a twole ged structure for light automobiles.

he outermost ribs 11 are in planes parallel to the adjacent obliqueedges 13 of the plate 10 and are adapted for reception w thinlongitudinal slots 14 of the outer legs 12 of the buck or horse wherebysaid legs are divergently arranged. The intermedlate rib 11 isperpendicular to the lower edge 15 of the plate 10 and is received inthe slot-14- in the upper end of the middle leg 12 whereby the middleleg is positioned-upright 1n the same vertical plane as the adjacentaxle of the automoblie such as 16 when in its supported position. Thelegs 12 being preferably tubular are connected together by horizontalbraces 17 also preferably tubular with securing means 18 extendingthrough bile if desired.

A U-shaped socket or .out of the shorter top edge of the plate 10 with alaterally projecting'flange 21 at the same side of the plate as the ribs11 formed for receiving and fitting the hub capbeen found very desirableIt has, however,

vin this art to provide. mounting means in which the hub or hub flangeof the automobile wheel couldbe received, thus bringing all of thesupporting structure outside the wheels. This has been found diflicultto accomplish' owing to danger of damaging the hubs. With my device,however, the hubs have a relatively wide and accurate bearing in'thesockets, and the plates being inwardly inclined toward opposite sides ofthe automobile,

. hubs, due to the weight of the automobile is relieved, the thrust, dueto such weight being inward against the hub flange and elimi-v natingall danger of injuring the hub-caps;

A rectangular, recess 24 1s countersunk substantially centrally in theplate 10 be- '35 neath the socket l9 projecting from the other side ofthe plate from the socket flange 21, to receive the inner end of a wallleg or arm 25 which'is secured horizontally, as by cleat 26, to theadjacent vertical sidewall 27 of the railway car 28. The automobile 1-6is elevated adjacent the roof 29 'of the ,car 28 by any convenient meanssuch as apnea matic jack or chain-falls and abuck positioned with itshead 10 beneath the hub 22 of each wheel 23 with the bucks inwardlyinclined permitting the lowering 'of the automobile for seating the hubs22 into the saddles 1921 as illustrated in Figs.

a bolt 30.

1 and 2 of the drawings. 4

It is understood that a pair of bucks are employed at e'achside of thecar, one pair for the front,-and the other pair for the rear.

Each buck of the forward pair has its rear- Inost leg at a greaterdegree of obliquity than theforemost leg. Similarly, each buck of therear pair of bucks has its foremost leg at a greater degree of obliquitythan the rear legs of these bucks.

Asa result, foremost legs of the rear pair of bucks will overlap therear legs of the forward pair of bucks, and these overla ing legs may besecured as by loor sockets as 31 receive the lower ends of the le s. Themanner of mounting the automobi e upon 4 bucks will be apparent from aninspection of the drawsaddle 19 is struck all direct vertical thrustupon the] metal have lon ings, the legs 12 supporting the entire'weightof the-automobile 16 by means of the plates 10, the wall legs or arms 25only serving to ma1ntain the plates 10 accurately spaced from the carsides 27 to receive and hold the hubs 22 in the sockets 19.

Due to the form of the ribs 11 or 11', it

will be observed that no further securing means is essential for holdingthese parts into interengaged position although, if desired, bolts 33may be used, the ribs having openings 34 and the legs openings 35 forthis purpose, over the hubs and secured by hold fast devices, not shown,positioned through perforations 37 in the 'plates 10 and perforations 38through said straps. The hubs 22 being fitted into the saddles 19 -21,no injury to the hubs is occasioned by supporting the automobile solelby said hubs. Removing of the automobi ewheels 23 is rendered unandmetal straps 36 placed,

necessary and the vehicle is safely suspended agalnst injury for.transportation in any suitable form of railwaycar, it being understoodthat a second automobile will be secured to the floor 32 between thebucks and beneath the suspended automobile 16.

- A two-legged buck is assembled by using the head plate 10 havingtwo-legged attach- -in ribs 11 and a struck out reces's.2 l to recelvethe wall leg such as .25. A flange 39 may be struck out of the plate 10into which the hub 22 is received projecting through the perforation 40I in the plate 10', the said flange '39 being of'the proper contour tore- ;ceive and closely fit the hub 22 of the autoe -mobile 16 to besuspended by the buck.

While the forms of my invention herein set forth are believedpreferable, minor changes may be made in details of construction as thelegs 12 may be solid instead of tubular andof any form capable ofdetachable connection with the head plates 10. The braces .17 may alsobe of any other than tubular form as may be desired, while the plates 10may be of sufficient thickness for forming the flange portions 21 asintegral parts of the lates'.

When the automobile 16 has been removed from the bucks, the same areseparated by removing the bolts 30 and the bucks are then readily takendown and disassembled for reshipment by removing legs 12 after the bolts33 have been removed if these bolts are employed. The feet 31 bemg arms25 also removed, the legs 12 and braces 17 may be folded, using the.members 18 as ivots. The arms 25 and cleats 26 may be ormed of woodand'discarded, while the head plates and legs of the bucks being of lifeand capable of repeated ortation. A great and expense'is acuse in automoile trans saving of labor, materi comp 1 the plates 10 from theshed bythe provision of my form of metal mounting bucks, the first expensebeing reduced as well as liability of breakage and requirement forrepairs. An ordinary workman can readily install automobiles forshipment in double deck arrangement by employing these bucks. lhe buckheads 10 may be also supplied separately as a complete article to beemployed by the ship-per with any desired form of legs and braces forsupporting vehicles with the heads properly positioned beneath eitherthe axles, hubs or spindles thereof.

What I claim as new is 1. In an automobile loading means, a supportincluding a mounting means comprising a sheet metal head plate having alaterally extending hub receiving saddle in one edge thereof, and legsremovably attached to the plate supportingly'projecting from theopposite edge thereof when assembled for use.

2. Automobile loading means comprising a plate of sheet metal having aU-shaped socket in one edge thereof with a laterally extending receivingflange formed as a continuation to the socket, leg attaching ribs on theplate at the same side of the plate as the flange, and legs detachablyconnected to the said ribs.

3. Means for mounting automobiles in shipping cars comprising atrapezoidal plate of sheet metal havin a U-shaped socket in one edgethereof with a receiving flange formed as a continuation to the socket,legsattaching ribs on the same side of the plate, legs detachablyconnected to the saidribs, said plate having a struck up recesssubstantially centrally thereof for the reception of a bracing arm whenthe plate is in use.

4. A buck for the loading of automobiles in freight cars, comprising asheet metal plate having a flanged socket therein adjacent its upperedge adapted for receiving and fitting the hub of an automobile wheelwhen the device is in use, and a plurality of upwardly convergingsupporting legs having their upper ends detachably connected to thelower edge portion of the plate.

5. An automobile buck for the supporting of automobiles in freight carsfor shipment comprising a sheet metal plate having a flanged socket inits upper edge adapted for receiving and 'fitting the hub of a vehiclewheel when the device is in use, divergent ribs extending laterally ofthe face of said plate, and supporting legs for the plate removablyengaging said ribs.

6. An automobile buck comprising a sheet metal plate having a flangedsocket therein adapted for receiving and fitting the hub of a vehiclewheel when the device is in use, divergent ribs extending laterally fromone face of said plate, and legs having longitudinal slots in theirupper ends adapted for the reception of said ribs therein.

7. A load supporting head for automobile bucks comprising a sheet metalplate having a socket formed therein adapted for receivingand closelyfitting the hub of a vehicle wheel when the device is in use, laterallyextending ribs struck out from said plate, and supporting legs removablytelescoping with said ribs. 5

8. A load supporting head for automobile bucks comprising a plate havinga flanged socket formed therein adapted for receivlng and closelyfitting the hub of a vehicle wheel when the device is in use,laterallyprojecting ribs upon said plate, supporting legs removablytelescoping with said ribs, said plate having a recess therein at theopposite side thereof from the receiving sideof the socket adapted forthe reception of a bracing arm.

9. A head for an automobile loading buck, comprising a sheet metal plateadapted to be obliquely disposed with respect to the hub of anautomobile wheel and formed with a socket shaped to fit and adapted toreceive said hub when so disposed.

10. A sheet metal head plate for an automobile buck, said plate formedwith a seat shaped to fit and adapted to receive the hub of anautomobile wheel, said plate being also formed'with a brace receivingsocket, and with leg receiving ribs projecting laterally from the faceof the plate.

EDWARD s. EVANS.

